, 1887-06-09

TO sightseers on account OF the vandalism OF
relic hunters. These have visited the monu-
nlent by thousands within the last few
months and nearly every step OF the interior
IL marked with their depredations. The flne
memorial stones which have been set into the
wall at the various landings have been marked
with pencils, carved with penknives, smoked
and blacked with candle flame, and some OF
those which have projections have had pieces
broken off by these vandals. II has been i'm.
possible to keep guards all along the stairway
from the top to the bottom. The interior OF
the monument has been dark, and visitors
ascending have bad to use candles to light
themselves up. During great part Of the
trip they have been out of sight of the guards
above and below, and it has been an easy
matter FOR them to ruin some of the most
beautiful OF the presented stones. The monu-
ment, however, Is not the only art work here
that bears the marks Of iconoclastic sight
seers. There Is hardly a place in Washington
or In its surroundings that Is not the worse
for them. At Mount Vernon the visitors are
always accompan ed by guides, who watch
closely But they will at every opportunity
cut chips from the old furniture or from the
windows or woodwork of the house. The
chair which came over In the Mayhower has
been woefully hacked and the bureau In the
room In which Washington died has had
three sets Of brass handles stolen from 1t. The
last six were stolen few years ago and the
parties in the care of the house have decided
to purchase no new ones.
.%s
Visitors to the Whise House are continually
trying to carry away some memento. They
pick the leaves in the conservatory and en-
deavor to tear the braid from the chairs and
sofas. They snip pieces out Of the lace cur
ha haN Nlga..
and have seen them lingering the glass Of
Tiffany's mosaic wall In the vestibule with an
evident desire of finding loose piece Dur.
ing Grants administration they sometimes
ate their lunches on the sofas, and during
Llncon's finely dressed woman was caught
cutting piece out Of one of the finest cur
tains Of the east room. The guides took her
with the lace In her hand and led her up to
President Lincoln. The president looked at
her sorrowfully for moment and told ber
the best thing she could do would be to go
home Immediately. She was a stranger and
she left the city that night. The affair Gre.
ated great excitement, but the lady was never
prosecuted.
In the old house Of representatives at the
Capitol, where the statues stand around In
cold grandeur, there are number of fine
columns, each Of which cost small fortune
These have been scratched with names, and
on going up to the dome you will find the
walls covered with writing Of people who
have thus tried to i.nmortali1e themselves.
One window has q name or two scratched
upon 1t with diamonds, and as looked at it
remembered very sensible little verse I
have seen somewhere. 1t Is:
whene'er see persons name written on the
glass,
I know that person owns diamond and his
father owns-an ass
In the hall of the statues you will see pieces
here and there chipped Off of the edges of the
pedestals, and il you will go out in front you
may see how Some relic hunter has stolen
Washington's hig toe from Greenoughs
naked statue there Such iconoclasm should
be as severely punished as the crime Of may
hem. FRANK G. CARPENTER